Town Supervisor Kate Murray said that parts of the Elmont and Franklin Square communities are ‘streetscaping’ in an effort to make the area more inviting and to help businesses to growth. Murray, who spoke to the Herald on March 26, said that façade improvements and renovations to parks and landmarks are being completed with more to come in the summer.

Streetscaping is at the top of Murray’s agenda for Elmont and Franklin Square. It involves the installation of new brick pavers, decorative lights, benches and trash receptacles to create a more pleasant appearance.

Murray said that streetscaping and the improvement of areas that comprise and surround local businesses are important for residents as well.

“We are always looking to improve our downtown business districts,” Murray said. “We have found [streetscaping] to be so important and effective for those districts because it makes it that much more inviting for the consumer and the pedestrian. If it’s a beautiful area to walk in, you’re more likely to look at the businesses that are being framed by these decorative additions.”

In Elmont, Murray said that a recent streetscape project was just completed on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike between Plainfield and Hendrickson Avenues. Planned for the summer is a streetscape project on the south side of Hempstead Turnpike in front of School Street and Elmont Road in the area of the firehouse. That streetscape will include new concrete sidewalks, brick pavers and new trees. In the late summer and early fall, another streetscape project is planned on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike between West Gate Boulevard and the Elmont Library entrance.

In Franklin Square, plans for a new design are underway for the intersection of North Corona Avenue and Franklin Avenue. New trees and a streetscaping for the Franklin Square Library parking lot are also being planned, as well as an extension on Dogwood Avenue. That extension project is currently underway and set for completion by the summer. The Franklin Square Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall is also being considered for a streetscaping project.